The Nature of Nurturing: Project Overview Kristine L. Gose, MA Fresno City College Simms Mann Institute for Education and Community Development May- August 2014

Introductory comments: “The Nature of Nurturing” Things that intrigued /“bugged” me in interactions between mothers and toddlers and teachers and toddlers  General language delays by age two in toddlers – six month delay  Lack of complexity in circles of communication between mothers and toddlers  Lack of or weak affective signaling between mothers and toddlers  Weak self regulatory skills under stress – anxiety – dys-regulation in mothers and toddlers  These same patterns of challenges and dys-regulation exist between teachers/caregivers and toddlers.  Visible lack of “joy” in interactions with toddlers

Background: These “challenges” may not be associated with low socio- economic status – only. Other variables affect mothers’ and teachers’ ability to maintain regulation and interact in a nurturing way with toddlers. Studies and work that informed and “drove” the project: Bjorn Carey’s 2014 Stanford Report, “Stanford Study: Stanford psychologist shows why talking to kids really matters”, -- Note: low SES groupings: by age two, six month delay and by age five, two year delay Fraiberg’s “Ghosts in the Nursery”, 1970 Lieberman’s “Angels in the Nursery”, 2014 Feldman’s “Oxytocin” work, 2014 Pruitt’s “Role of Fathers” work, 2014 Lillis’ work on “Role of early traumas and resulting associated dys- regulation in parenting”, 2013/2014

Question for the project Can mothers of toddlers and teachers in training, self identify their own dys- regulation during certain interactions with their toddlers -- and then rectify their own “challenges of relating”?

The Process Recruiting Mother/Toddler dyads Personal Narrative development Initial video – Play Study I 6 Focus Group sessions Final video – Play Study II Self analysis of video Final Interviews – assessment of change Six Month follow Up Interveiws

Recruiting All mothers were “teachers in training” at Fresno City College, majoring in Child Development All were single parents All were parents of toddlers – aged two – note: some of the toddlers turned three while in the project The project began with a group of 7 Dyads -- 4 Dyads attended every Focus Group sessions and completed

Personal Narrative Development Goal: to analyze how “I” was parented, how am “I” parenting now and how “I” want to parent in my future Definition: personal analysis and account of where we have been, where we are now and where we want to be. This could be from a psychological, physical, behavioral, achievement, etc. viewpoint. “Piggy backed on” Formal Assessment: J. Shonkoff and S. Miesel, 2000, Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention, Ch. 12, Cambridge University Press, and(add here – CSPP Study in progress)

The videos: Play Study I, Play Study II and Final Interview All videos used: same settings same toys – symbolic toys for nurturing, use of power, notions of family and belonging same “drill” – mothers were told to play with their toddler just as they would play in a typical play session, then get up and leave for two minutes, return and resume playing same questions

Focus Groups: Session 1  Introduction, discussion of Personal Narratives, analysis of parenting backgrounds, how “I” was parented Note: Personal Narrative were distributed at the first video session – to be completed and brought to the first Focus Group session

Session 2 “Ghosts” and “Angels” –  identifying themes from my past that dys-regulate me and affect how “I” parent –  identifying behaviors in my toddler that dys-regulate me – taking me “back to the ghosts” Emergent themes included: Fear of abandonment, Fear that my experience will be disregarded/“my reality exists and is valid”, fear of having no choices /fear of having no control, fear of personal danger, fear of men, in order to relate to men, the relationship must be sexual

Emergent themes from Session I Discussion included : Abandonment – fear/ panic when toddler makes mother late – dys-regulation “My reality exists” /”My experience is valid”– whenever toddler develops a play theme that mother feels uncomfortable with – she stops the play – she “takes away” toddler’s reality – dys-regulation “I must have choices” – when toddler takes mother’s choices away, panic – dys-regulation Fear of personal danger – my toddler is the result of extreme danger – dys-regulation “To relate to men, I must be sexual” Fear of men

Session 3 and 4  Introduce “Nature of Nurturing” – Power Point materials Topics:  co-regulation  dys-regulation – loss of readiness and ability to process neurologically – fight/flight/freeze  personal sensory profile (scents, pace, tone, sounds, visual spatial, etc.)  reflecting affect  circles of communication  achieving regulation during times of stress  Analysis if Play Study I

Session 5  Power Point Materials – Topics:  Introduction to “joy” – Reflection on our “Angels”  Setting goals for how I want to parent, how I will parent, how I will increase joy in the interactions with my toddler

Session 6 Final Reflections Final videos Interviews Self assessment of progress in understanding the concepts and application

Closing notes, reflections, surprises, things I missed and questions All mothers/teachers reported : More joy ! Less dys-regulation in their interactions with their toddlers More trust in their current “Angels” who work/interact with their toddlers Security in co-regulation Rated improvement in all areas on exit questionnaire

Surprises  The nature and the clarity of the themes that arose from the Personal Narrative work  Flat-ness of parental responses Play Study I  All mothers felt a great void and loss of the “Touchstone” of the Focus Groups – all felt as though they lost touch with some of their gains All mothers reported that they and their children would greatly benefit from regular Focus Group sessions. They felt once per month would provide stability in their regulatory abilities